Someone Wake Me Up
by AnimeFan202
Summary: It was the only time Maka hadn't wanted to have been proven right. In the end, it didn't matter how much she'd talked down men, she'd still made and exception for him... and she'd been disappointed.
1. Prologue

**Someone Wake Me Up**

**Chapter One**

Maka rushed down the hallway, bent over, her hands clutching her heart. She didn't think she could bear to look at anyone. She didn't have the courage to see anyone watching her in this state. Hadn't she suffered enough humiliation recently?

She was able to hold her head high for one second: just long enough to indifferently brush past the white-haired boy who'd caused her all this pain.

She swore she felt something else inside of her break in two when he just stood there as she passed. But she knew that was impossible. There wasn't anything she hadn't given to him… nothing left to break.

However, this emptiness inside of her just left room for all the pain that came flooding in. She thought of all the things he'd never said to her. All the things he'd been too _cool_ to say to her. Or, at least, she'd thought that had been the reason behind all those unspoken words.

Her heart pounding, she pushed open the door to the Death Room without bothering to knock. Had her heart still been in working condition, it would have fallen a little when she saw that Lord Death was not alone for this unfortunate meeting. Her father was in the room. But she ignored him, relieved to find that she still had enough dignity left to resist the urge to run into her father's arms and sob into his suit like she hadn't done in so long.

"Maka," said Lord Death in his light cheery voice, "what a pleasant surprise."

"Lord Death," she said in as steady a voice as she could manage, "I'd like to request a partner reassignment."

**Review please!**

**I don't own Soul Eater. And I really need to update my other SE fic… **

**Yes, this was short. It was meant to be. This was a spur of the moment idea and it should only be a few chapters long…**


	2. Her Story

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! (6 Reviews! A better turnout than I usually get. I have another Soul Eater story up if anyone's interested in reading that too… It's a little more fast paced and action-filled than this one)**

**All the **_italicized_** writing are memories.**

**Chapter Two**

_Maka hurried past the groups of other students, her head down. Tears were pricking at her eyes, but she wasn't about to let them fall. _

'_Get a hold of yourself!' she thought silently. It wasn't as if she hadn't dealt with all this before. But before she'd always been able to ignore the snide remarks of her classmates._

_Perhaps it was getting to her today because it felt like it was all coming at her at once. _

_All the other girls in the locker room looked her way when she changed just to boost their own self-esteem. She was the girl that sat at the end of an empty table during lunch, her face stuffed in a book. Every time she answered something correctly in class or was praised for her top marks, her classmates would snicker. She was the epitome of the bookworm with no friends._

_She brushed through the doors of the library to the spot in the back where she was content to crouch in the corner with a book- her usual form of solace. But she couldn't have been there for more than 60 seconds before someone's loud, booming voice slashed through the silence._

"_Man, what are we doing in here, Soul? I didn't think you were the kind of guy who spent your time reading."_

"_Well, at least no one doubts that I'm literate." His retort was quick, but not mean. _

_She perked up slightly at the sound of her partner's voice. Actually, they'd only been partners for about a week, and he couldn't be less like her, but in that first week, never had he ever spoken a mean word to her. Not the taunting kind of words like their classmates liked to throw at her. Though he did tease her quite often in the exact same voice she heard him use now. He often used that tone with her, too. It was a strange feeling- liking being teased. But now she reveled in the sound, hearing him speak to someone else in that same tone. It was like a marker of their friendship._

"_Besides," she heard him continue, "I have other reasons for being here. I'm looking for someone." _

"_Really?" She heard another new voice, this one female. "Who is it?" Their voices were getting closer._

"_She should be around here somewhere… Ah!" A second later Soul stepped around the corner, followed closely by a tall girl with long black hair and a chest that was so large it was almost ridiculous (Especially in comparison to her own, she thought a little sadly.) and a boy with neon blue hair that stuck out in all directions._

_She looked up and closed her book, attempting not to look like a frightened rabbit._

"_Maka, this is Black*Star and Tsubaki. Guys, this is my partner, Maka." _

_If she were being totally honest, she thrilled a little that he wasn't ashamed of owning up to being her partner._

_The girl smiled down kindly. "It's nice to meet you, Maka."_

"_Yeah, great, can we go to lunch now?" Black*Star cut in before she could reply._

_Soul chuckled. "You two go ahead." Though Tsubaki stayed long enough to give her a little wave, Black*Star didn't need any further persuasion. He rushed off and Soul turned to her._

"_Why do you spend so much time in here?" He asked, looking around the library and silently deciding that, despite all its grandeur, it really wasn't much._

"_I just…" she let her voice trail off, deciding that he wasn't really expecting an answer. "Soul?" she said in a quieter, more timid voice. _

_He looked down at hearing the unfamiliar sound to his normally headstrong partner's voice. "Yeah?"_

_She began to pick at the edge of her short skirt. "Why… Why did you agree to be my partner?"_

_He stared at her for a moment then laughed, making her look up. "Good question," he said, still laughing. "Well, I guess you must be pretty special if a guy as cool as me would pick a girl with a chest as flat as yours."_

_Maka barely heard the playful jibe. She looked up, this time her tears coming from happiness, and took his outstretched hand._

**…**

For a moment there was silence. Then Lord Death moved as if he were about to speak, but he was cut off by her father. Her furious father.

"What the hell has that bastard done to you?"

Maka swore she could see the tips of the blades emerging from his arms so she quickly said, "Soul hasn't done anything. We just… aren't getting along like we used to. It's affecting our missions."

It sounded normal, very much like Maka Albarn. Straight to the point, all business… but they couldn't feel the way Soul's name burned her throat, or just how hard it was for her to act like this was nothing more than a mutual decision for the two of them.

Awaiting their decision, she gulped, trying to make it as inconspicious as possible. As much as she longed to spill her story… it just wasn't the type of thing you told your dad.

**…**

_Death the Kid was known for many things. He was a grim reaper, after all, and the son of the almighty Lord Death. But there was an extra perk to this immortal boy that many of his classmates had come to treasure: Death the Kid knew how to throw a kick-ass party._

_In all honesty, Maka preferred the parties that were hosted just for their small group of friends. While she'd come to terms with her classmates over the years, she preferred the closer group that was the six of them. But Soul had nagged at her until she'd caved, and here they were. _

_Kid's already lavish house had been decorated for the occasion (all symmetrically of course). Maka swayed in time with the music, watching the small crowd dancing from off to the side, a drink in her hand. (It looked as if she'd been the only teen in the crowd to opt for soda over alcohol.) In terms of crowds it was on the smaller side, but there was still a considerable number of people there._

_If asked, Maka wouldn't have been able to explain why Soul enjoyed parties like this. She knew for a fact that he considered the music that everyone was dancing to to be garbage. And, like herself, he knew who his real friends were. She suspected he felt the need to make an appearance in order to keep up his "cool" image._

_Maka found that she could only watch for so long. What passed for 'dancing' these days was indecent enough to make her blush. Honestly, she couldn't imagine ever going out there and completely losing herself on the dance floor. And she was thinking of _real _dancing. Just another reason to put on her long list of why she wouldn't ever drink._

"_Hey, Maka!" an obnoxiously loud, and very recognizable voice called out to her. Sure enough, a second later she spotted Black*Star fighting his way through the throng to her. She hadn't seen him since the party started, but then, she'd lost Liz and Patty in the crowd as well._

_She smiled and set her soda down on one of the tables now that she had real company. "Hey, Black*Star, how's the party?"_

_He shrugged. "It's pretty good, I guess. Of course," he boasted, "it wouldn't be nearly as great if I wasn't here!"_

_Maka allowed herself a private chuckle. She'd learned to humor Black*Star over the years, but she couldn't imagine being in Tsubaki's position and having to tolerate him all the time. Not that the taller girl seemed to mind. Speaking of…_

"_Tsubaki asked me to come find you. Said she wanted to talk."_

"_Yeah?" But he had already taken her by the hand and was dragging her to the upper floor of the mansion. There she found Tsubaki, sitting on the floor of a spare bedroom, waiting for her._

"_Hey, Maka. I figured I'd rescue you from the party downstairs. I can't dance because I sprained my ankle when we were running away from our last target-"_

"_Tsubaki! How many times do I have to tell you? We weren't running away! We were retreating! Retreating is a tactical battle strategy used all over the world. A guy as big as me would never run away!"_

_Tsubaki just smiled at his ridiculous antics. "Right. Sorry, Black*Star. Anyway, I knew you'd rather be up here, just talking, so I figured I might ask you to join me."_

_Maka smiled and took a seat on the floor beside her closest female friend, deciding she'd rather not take the chance of messing up either of the two immaculate beds Kid had in the room._

_Black*Star stayed for a while but ultimately ended up leaving the girls for the excitement of the party. Maka and Tsubaki stayed up there, sharing stories of their recent missions and other petty gossip for quite a long time- until they heard the party beginning to wind down._

_However, after emerging from the bedroom, Maka wasn't three steps down the stairs before she remembered that she'd left her jacket upstairs. She hurried back up, claiming she'd only be a minute, until she reached the hallway and found that every single closed door looked exactly the same. She paused and then flung one open at random, hoping it was the right one, or at least close to the right one._

_She supposed she really should have been better prepared. After all, this was a teenage party complete with alcohol and a spacious mansion. The thought that she could be about to intrude on some young couple didn't even cross her mind as she flung open the door._

_She jumped a little when she spotted movement under the ruffled sheets of one of the beds. She began to make some hurried apology for bothering them, her cheeks flushed, when she stopped. As the two moved and disentangled she saw a very familiar shock of messy white hair and two very familiar ruby red eyes staring at her through the darkness. Then she heard his groggy voice call her name._

"_Maka?"_

_But by this time she was already down the hall and on her way down the stairs. Her heart was imploding with a sort of hollow pain and tears stung at her eyes._

"_Maka, wait!"_

_How dare he have the gall to follow her! But follow he did, and she found she had no trouble parting the crowd downstairs. As the two made their way down the great staircase, every eye in the room turned to the two of them._

_It was her Cinderella moment. But it was all so wrong._

…

Maka waited for Lord Death to break the silence so that her traitorous mind wouldn't make her relive that night yet again. And finally, he did.

"You know this is a very serious request, Maka."

"Yes, I know."

There was another long pause and then, "All right. If this is really what you wish, then your partner reassignment will begin tomorrow morning."

**Review please! **

**And I would like to thank everyone who's already reviewed so much! I really appreciate it! The way I've got this planned out, there should only be two more chapters.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	3. His Story

**Chapter Three**

_Soul Evans, or Soul Eater as he'd recently dubbed himself, was incredibly grateful to the DWMA. It had only been a week since he'd abandoned ship, (or, more accurately, the yacht that was the Evans household) and while he was sure he would have been able to survive on his own, he appreciated Lord Death taking him in._

_In a nutshell, Soul was laid-back and pessimistic. He quickly reached the conclusion that the DWMA hadn't been likely to turn him away. Truly successful weapon and meister pairs were rare, and Lord Death wasn't likely to turn away any possible future Death Scythes._

_Soul wasn't sure if he believed in fate or luck, but surely it was one of the two that had led him to Maka Albarn so quickly. It had been a strange day- his very first as a matter of fact. He'd been touring the school when he'd stumbled upon a room that was empty of all but a grand piano._

_Soul couldn't describe the feeling that accompanied such a sight. When he'd left home he'd sworn never to touch another piano again, but he found himelf sitting down, and pretty soon his hands were flying across the keys. Soul let the music wash over him until the song ended and he turned around to see a girl standing behind him._

_An apartment had been assigned to them. Apparently, this was customary- the DWMA officials (mainly Lord Death) claimed it helped partners to bond._

Gee,_ he'd thought sarcastically, _why not just give us our engagement rings now?_ But he hadn't really minded. There was something about her being his complete opposite that brought out the best in him. Okay, so maybe she wasn't always the most optimistic either, but she was driven, which he could respect even if he wasn't._

_It was Maka who'd convinced him not to drop the Evans from his name._

"_I don't want anything to do with that family anymore," he'd argued._

"_Whether you want it to be or not, Evans is a part of you. It's important to remember where you came from. Besides, Soul Eater Evans just… flows. It sounds _cool_."_

_Soul had chosen not to point out that she was trying to dismiss her own father from her life. Instead, he just smiled._

**…**

Maka hadn't spoken a single word to him since she'd run out of the party. When Blair asked what was wrong, neither of them had answered. They were living in the same house, but anyone on the outside never would've known it.

Soul wasn't ashamed to say that he'd followed Maka to the Death Room only to stand outside, listening. She was his partner- he had a right to know what was going on. If she wasn't going to talk to him, he'd have to get his information elsewhere.

It wasn't a very long meeting. There was a lot of silence so he figured he was missing parts. He heard her father very clearly ask what he'd done to her.

Soul smirked even though it wasn't funny at all. _Nothing_, he thought, _but then, that's the problem, isn't it, Maka?_

The conversation was short, but the subject was clear: partner reassignment. Soul found himself leaning back against the wall- the picture of aloofness, but inside his pockets, his hands were clenched into fists. He wanted so badly to run in there and demand that they talk it out- fight it out if need be. But he knew it was pointless. He'd seen Maka when she was determined countless times before. Nothing would change her mind. It was already over.

Finally, the door opened and Maka strode out. He knew she saw him watching her go. But she didn't stop. And the silence continued.

Soul wasn't sure where exactly he was going, but he continued to walk down empty hallways, reminded strongly of his first day. Everyone else had left already, but Soul kept going. And he would keep this up until he ran out. Out of hallways. Out of time. Out of options.

"Soul?"

He stopped his feverish stride and turned to see Professor Stein behind him.

"It's awful late to still be at school." Soul just shrugged. "I've heard that Maka's signed up for partner reassignment. I guess that leaves you with some pretty big decisions."

"'Guess so," he responded flatly.

"My class is only for the top weapon and meister pairs," Stein continued, not meaning to sound so insensitive. "Without a partner, I'm afraid I'm going to have to drop you from my roster."

There was a pause. Then, "Tell Lord Death to drop me from attendance altogether," he said, making his decision. "Today's my last day at the academy."

**…**

_Soul looked around, having lost Kid and Black*Star in the crowd five minutes in. He liked the atmosphere of these gatherings, even if the music was crap._

_This wasn't Maka's kind of scene, but she'd given in pretty easily. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her in a while either._

_He didn't see Cecily Varney walk up to him until she was almost upon him. Soul had seen her eying him in the hallways recently, but he wasn't all that interested in her. Cecily was shallow on her best days, and he suspected that she stuffed her considerable chest._

_This close up, it was hard not to notice her sparkling blue eyes and how her wavy brown hair cascaded down her back. To any other pair of eyes in the room, she looked absolutely stunning in her bright green dress, but it wasn't having the desired effect on Soul Eater Evans._

That dress has got nothing on Maka's eyes, _he thought._

"_Hey, Soul," she practically purred, obviously trying to sound seductive. "Some party, huh?" He shrugged, but his icy behavior did not deter her. She leaned in closer and whispered, "Why don't you and I get away from it all for a while?"_

_He pulled away. "No thanks."_

"_Oh, come on," she pressed. "Even your partner's getting some action." At his bewildered look, she leaned in again and said in a confidential voice, "My friend Kuno saw her go into a bedroom upstairs with Black*Star."_

_For a moment, Soul was certain he'd heard wrong. Black*Star and Maka? His partner and his best friend? He knew Black*Star had this thing about puffing up his ego, but this was taking it a little far._

_Soul barely registered Cecily taking his arm and pulling him upstairs into one of Kid's empty spare rooms. He didn't realize that they were on the bed until her lips were on his. After a moment, he began to kiss her back. In seconds she had his shirt off. He only came to when she pulled away to remove her own clothing._

"_Wait," he said, his own voice sounding strange to his ears. "Don't." Suddenly, he had a killer headache._

_Cecily huffed. "What's wrong?" she asked, trying to sound sexy once more but failing. _

"_I'm sorry," he said though he really wasn't. "I'm not interested."_

"_What?" she demanded. "Am I not pretty enough?"_

_Soul smiled. "I guess not," he said, though on the outside she was plenty beautiful. He lay back against the pillows. She paused, looking as if she wanted to storm from the room, but then she lay down as well and turned on her side to face him. It looked terribly intimate, but, to Soul at least, it meant nothing._

"_You know," Cecily tossed in an added jibe, "I'll bet Little Miss Flat-Chest has already lost it by now."_

_Soul shrugged and smirked in the darkness. Even his most uncreative names for Maka were better than 'little miss flat-chest'. _

"_What Maka does is her choice," said Soul, trying to ignore the sting that came from knowing his partner was in another room with his best friend. "I doubt this'll become some sort of hobby for her anyway," said Soul, hoping this was true. "We have too many things we want to accomplish."_

_Soul smirked as Cecily's face twisted into a sour expression. He'd officially turned her off. The last things she wanted to hear about were the goals and dreams he and Maka had planned together._

_This was what he was thinking when Maka opened the door._

**Review please!**

**Wow! Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed in the one day that I've had chapter two up. I usually don't update this frequently, but I'll be away camping all weekend so you guys will have to wait for the next (and last) chapter.**

**I don't own Soul Eater!**


	4. Reconciliation

**Hello, World!**

**Before I start the next and final chapter, there are a few things I have to say:**

**First, I'm sorry for the delay. I truly meant to get this chapter up a lot sooner.**

**Second, Thank you so much to anyone and everyone that's reviewed this story. It's going to be one of my shortest ones, and I really didn't expect it to be such a big hit. So thank you!**

**Last but not least, I got an anonymous review (Nice to meet you, That Person) saying they had suspicions about the title. Unfortunately, it being an anonymous review, I had no way to contact That Person and either prove or disprove that suspicion. So, for anyone who's wondering, here's the story:**

**I got the idea for this story while listening to a song by The Veronicas. Yes, the title of the song was Someone Wake Me Up. That pretty much covers the first three chapters. But as I was writing this last one, I started thinking of a different song: What If by Ashley Tisdale. (I'm not sure how everyone else sees this second song, but I've always seen it as two people are in a relationship, in this case Soul and Maka. The girl is really strong an independent and doesn't know how to ask for help which is driving the boy away. I just thought it fit the two really well. If you see it my way, that is...) **

**So if you haven't heard those songs but want to compare them to this story now, be my guest. If you want me to just shut up and get on with the end, keep reading. ^^'**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Four**

Soul was surprised to find that Maka was not at the apartment when he got there. _Oh well,_ he thought. He supposed her absence was all for the better. She obviously had no desire to see him anyway.

Soul tossed his suitcase onto his bed and it popped open with an almost comical cloud of dust. He hadn't seen it since he'd arrived, and he hadn't wanted to see it again for some time still. He threw open his dresser drawers and began to toss in clothes haphazardly. He ignored Blair, watching him from the doorway with drooping ears, as best he could, but he still wasn't able to block her out completely. Damn his peripheral vision.

**…**

Maka swung back and forth desolately, her heels planted into the loose sand. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to come back to this old playground; she hadn't seen it in years. Her dad used to take her here every day when she was younger- back when everything had been fine between her parents.

She came to an abrupt stop and violently shook her head. No, she'd cried enough tears in the past few days. She wasn't about to succumb to them now. Especially not over something that had happened so long ago.

"Maka?"

Her head snapped up at the voice, and she desperately hoped that none of the emotions she felt were showing on her face. There were very few things she thought to be more awkward than thinking she was perfectly alone when she wasn't.

Her heart calmed a bit when she saw who it was. "Oh, hey, Tsubaki." The taller girl was standing a few feet away, her hands clasped in front of her as if she were afraid to come any closer. _Best to stay away from the girl with the uncontrollable temper and the bipolar attitude as of late, _Maka thought bitterly. Then, she shook that thought away as well. Get a grip, she told herself. Tsubaki was just being Tsubaki.

"May I join you?" she asked politely.

"Yeah, of course," Maka answered. It was hardly like she owned this playground. And besides, even at a time like this, she found that she'd quite enjoy Tsubaki's company.

For a moment they both rocked back and forth in silence. Then, Tsubaki asked the inevitable question. "Maka, is something wrong? You've been pretty distant since Kid's party. And I never see you with Soul anymore."

Maka chose to continue the silence. She just looked down at the tracks her feet were making in the wood chips beneath her. But of course, today would be the day that Tsubaki chose to push her.

"You know, you can tell me anything, Maka. That's what friends are for. I won't tell anyone," she vowed. "Not even Black*Star."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. It was interesting to know that even his partner wouldn't trust Black*Star with any secrets. But then, that line of thinking got her back to musing the situation with her own partner. Suddenly, she wasn't much in the mood to smile anymore.

As dusk fell, she finally let the words out. Tsubaki was a good listener. She waited patiently, quietly through the whole ordeal. And only when she was certain Maka was finished did she voice her opinion.

"Have you talked to Soul about this? Maybe you don't know the whole story… I'm sure you two could find some sort of middle ground."

Maka sighed. Sure, that way of thinking was all fine and dandy when you had a partnership like Tsubaki's where one partner was perfectly okay with constantly bending to the other's every whim. But it didn't work like that with herself and Soul. They were both too strong-willed and stubborn. Even their settled arguments were really only at a standstill.

Soul may have seemed like one of the most laid-back and easy-going people in the world, but he was every bit as stubborn as she was. When they argued, it was intense. Oddly enough, it sometimes reminded her of the way her parents used to argue.

Though she didn't say so aloud, in answer to Tsubaki's question, no, she hadn't talked to Soul about it. Hadn't her glares sufficed? What was there to talk about? What Soul had done was wrong.

Unfortunately, Maka had learned some time ago that she had quite the traitorous inner voice. And it tended to make itself known at the worst of times. Soul called it her conscience.

_And why was it so wrong? _that voice now asked. _He's your partner, not your boyfriend. You don't own him._

Silently, Maka huffed impatiently. Her inner voice was a lot of things, but she hadn't thought it was stupid. Of course she didn't _own_ him. And she didn't want him to be her boyfriend. It was just… common courtesy was all.

_Liar,_ the voice crowed. It was enjoying her pain. _Face it; You're not offended, you're jealous._

Maka felt something bubble up inside of her. No! She couldn't possibly be jealous! Of who? Cecily? There was no way she was jealous of such a… such a complete whore! No, she was in no way jealous of Cecily Varney.

_No,_ said the voice, agreeing with her for once. _You're jealous of Soul _with _Cecily._

Maka clenched her jaw tighter. She knew she couldn't refute this, and that scared her.

"Maka?" said Tsubaki, leaning closer, concerned. "Are you all right?"

Maka rose from the swing abruptly. "Yeah, I just… I should be getting home."

"All right…" said Tsubaki, still looking worried as her friend hurried away.

**…**

Soul looked down at his fully packed suitcase, not sure if he'd have the heart to pick it up and really walk out of there. Slowly, he closed his hand around the handle. No sooner had he done so, Maka burst into the apartment.

For a moment they just stared at each other. Slowly, her eyes traveled down to the suitcase in his hand. She swallowed, then very quietly asked, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Leaving," he responded after a moment.

"Where?" Her voice didn't seem able to escape from that deathly quiet tone.

He shrugged, his expression blank. "Guess I'll find out when I get there." They were silent for another moment. Maka was vaguely aware of the fact that she was standing in his way, but she didn't move. She honestly wasn't sure what the look on her face was until Soul sighed and said, "Maka, don't look at me like that. This was what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"I…" Her voice trailed off. She opened her mouth only to close it again. But it was what she wanted… wasn't it? Her mind was aching. Men couldn't be trusted. That was a given for her. She'd never argued this point. But for some reason, 'Soul couldn't be trusted' didn't ring so true. But why?

"Uh… Maka?" Soul took a step back. He looked worried. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and more forming in her eyes. They stung. She knew her face must have contorted into a heartbreaking expression, because her voice mimicked it.

"I don't understand…" she whispered. Why did this hurt so much? Why did she _need him so much_? She'd been raised to be independent… strong. Why did all of that crumble around Soul? Without another word, she turned and crashed out the door.

It wasn't until she was a block away that she realized 'she' was a 'they'. Soul was following her. She spun around, sceaming.

"Just GET LOST! Why are you doing this to me? If you want to leave, then GO! Get out of here!"

"Maka, what is with you?" Soul sounded bewildered, even bordering on angry. "You've been so freaking tempermental lately. If you don't want me to leave, just say so. But what am I supposed to think when you go screw my best friend and then ignore me like I'm the bad guy? I can't read your mind, Maka!"

She just stared at him, not even trying to conceal the tears anymore. It took a good minute for what he'd said to sink in. She saw the indignance on his face and she was incredulous. Incredulously pissed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she raged. "You think I fucked _Black*Star_?" Had the whole world gone mad?

Soul stared right back, unmoving, but now he was just as lost as she was. Because he could see that her anger and confusion was genuine.

In the space of the silence, he found himself looking at his partner in a new light. Maka had always been amazing. She was strong. Confident. Sure, she was stubborn too, but she had so many awesome qualities that overshadowed that one. She had always been perfectly fine on her own and she always would be. _Maka_ wouldn't have felt so lost and empty after abandoning _her_ family. _Maka_ would've had a plan. _Maka_ would've been looking forward. _She_ certainly didn't need _him_.

But her eyes told a different story. Hesitantly, he took a step forward, hand outstretched. She didn't move. Either to walk away or to meet him.

Maka was beginning to put the puzzle together in her mind. She was fairly positive she'd pieced together what had really happened that night, but it hadn't cleared her mind any.

"I didn't have sex with Black*Star," she repeated firmly. "And even if I had, it wouldn't have been to get back at you."

"Good," said Soul, beginning to breathe a little easier. "And I didn't have sex with Cecily because I was mad at you. Actually, we didn't go that far at all."

Maka blinked. Perhaps she hadn't had it all figured out after all. "But… I thought… You two were in bed… and your shirt…"

"Was all that was off," he finished. Then, a familiar smirk took over his features. "Besides, cool guys like me don't go for girls like Cecily. Harlots aren't my type." There were tears gathering in her eyes again. But she knew instinctively that they were for a different reason. She ran and practically launched herself at Soul. He managed to steady the two of them without toppling over and hugged her back just as tightly. He didn't care that they were in the middle of a street. That anyone could have been watching their scene from their bedroom window. No matter how many times he'd insisted that cool guys didn't show affection in public.

He pressed his face to her hair, happier than he'd been in what felt like forever. It had been a long few days. Some of the longest of his life actually. And after all that, he was certain they wouldn't be able to go on being just friends… But that really didn't bother him anymore.

**Review please!**

**Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that's the end. I'm sorry if it wasn't as romantic as you were expecting, but it was sappy enough for me.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed the past three chapters over the course of this story and anyone who'll review this chapter. I got a lot of awesome feedback, and that really means a lot to me. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**


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